26 May 2023

Newsletter Articles

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

What an exciting two weeks we have had at Sherwood Ridge, with so many things happening. As you would know in the past I have spoken of our Strategic Improvement Plan that drives the initiatives and activities we engage in as a school. This is a key aspect of the School Excellence Cycle and supports schools in striving for excellence and ongoing improvement. The approach to School Excellence is student-centric and built on:

• strong self-assessment and evaluative practices
• a clear focus on student wellbeing, growth and attainment
• an evidence-informed Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) for every school
• progress monitoring, through regular collection and analysis of evidence, to inform next steps.

The School Excellence Cycle includes a thorough Situational Analysis, Strategic Improvement Plan, Implementation and Progress Monitoring and Annual Reflection. Every four years, we complete a Situational Analysis which for Sherwood Ridge was completed in 2020. From the information gathered during this process as a school we developed our Strategic Improvement Plan which we implement, monitor and reflect on yearly. Every four years as a school we engage with an External Validation process where we examine the systems, processes, initiatives and activities we have implemented over the last four years. Our executive team have been engaging in this process since the beginning of the year, creating evidence sets to demonstrate the growth we have achieved as a school during this four year period in teaching, leading and learning.

This process culminated last week where our executive enthusiastically presented to a panel of educators, sharing our experiences, growth and passion for high quality education. I am extremely proud to announce that this process highlighted the significant growth we have made as school with the panel supporting our on balance judgements and recognising that we are excelling in 8 of the 14 elements of the School Excellence Framework, which is 7 more than our last External Validation in 2018. This has been a tremendous achievement and one that is a direct result of our relentless focus on learning and student wellbeing.

To finish our very exciting week off we hosted our first Family FriYay with students and parent/carers from Stage 3 coming together to code, engage in creative arts activities and compete on our sporting fields. What a fun afternoon we all had with lots of laughs and smiles. It was wonderful to see parents/carers joining in activities and in some cases working with other parents/carers to compete against their children in fast paced and competitive ball games. We saw a third of our parents/carers join us for the afternoon and then meet together for afternoon tea in the hall. It was a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to connect and get to know each other. We are looking forward to hosting the remainder of the grades over the coming weeks.

Some of the other highlights for the fortnight include the Zone Cross Country where our students demonstrated their talents for long distance running. We also held a parent session outlining our Anti-Bullying Strategy, conducted school-wide surveys on our PBL reward system and held the Year 6 Walk-a-thon. It has indeed been a very busy two weeks but extremely rewarding as well. As we move into the second half of the term I hope you can join us for some of our upcoming events.

Kind regards,

Mrs Jody Sullivan
Principal

Sherwood Ridge Public School I From Each Their Best

Sherwood Ridge Public School, an inclusive school where wellbeing and student growth and achievement for all is at the centre of what we do. Students and teachers actively engage in learning, with parents and carers as partners in this journey, all striving together to create a future generation of strong, capable and driven lifelong learners. At Sherwood Ridge every student, every teacher and every family is known, valued and cared for. SRPS School Vision 2021-2024

STARTING KINDERGARTEN IN 2024?

If you have a child starting school next year it is important to enrol your child and to attend our Kindergarten Orientation held in Term 4. We are currently taking enrolments for 2024 and you are encouraged to contact the office staff if you have not yet completed an enrolment application or if you require assistance.

Preparing for Kindergarten

Parents can do a lot to help prepare their child for Kindergarten before the big 'first day'. Below is a list of skills that will be useful for children starting Kindergarten. We recognise that not all children will have these skills as everyone develops at a different pace, so this is intended only as a guide so that starting school may be just a little easier. Encourage your child to attempt the things mentioned below, but don't worry if your child can't do all of them. Talk to the Kindergarten teacher, and together you can support and assist your child's learning.

Personal/Social Skills

• uses the toilet independently
• can say own name and address
• adapts to unfamiliar settings and new experiences
• can finish a task, and tidies up afterwards
• plays cooperatively with other children - shares and takes turns
• can sit still to listen to a story for a few minutes
• participates in imaginative play

REPORTING AND PARENT/CARER TEACHER INTERVIEWS

At Sherwood Ridge, our teachers use a variety of ways to assess student progress throughout the year including observing work in class, looking closely at the work they produce as well as informal and formal class assessments.

Teachers compare student's achievement against the expectations described in each syllabus document and measure student achievement against a five point scale: Outstanding; High; Sound; Basic Achievement and Limited Achievement.

This year, our Student Progress reports will be published online to parents and carers via the Parent Portal on Friday 30 June 2023. Reports are provided to parents and carers twice a year and include a written general comment, along with statements of attainment reflective of syllabus outcomes and learning goals for all curriculum areas.

Each year we schedule time for formal parent/carer teacher interviews to provide the opportunity for communication between home and school about student progress, achievement and wellbeing. The interviews for this year are scheduled in Week 2 of Term 3 beginning Monday 24 July through to Friday 28 July. Information about how to book an interview will be sent out via the school app closer to the date. We value parent and carer partnerships at Sherwood Ridge and if at any time during the year you would like to speak with your child’s class teacher or an executive member, please follow school procedures and call the office or email the school to make an appointment at a time that is convenient.

SHERWOOD RIDGE AWARDS

K-2 Assembly Badge Recipient Lists

3-6 Assembly Badge Recipient Lists

K-2 Merit Award Recipient Lists

3-6 Merit Award Recipient Lists

Caught You Being Good

Kindergarten Caught You Being Good

Stage 1 Caught You Being Good

Stage 2 Caught You Being Good

FROM THE TEACHERS

Check-in assessment for Year 4 and Year 6

During Term 2, students will participate in the Check-in assessment.

The Check-in assessment is a NSW Department of Education online literacy and numeracy assessment available to support schools to assess and monitor student learning.

The assessment can supplement existing school practices to identify how students are performing in literacy and numeracy and to help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs. Students with disability may receive the same level of support during the assessment they would normally receive in the classroom.

• The assessment will be scheduled for our Year 4 and 6 students during Weeks 4 to 7
• All students complete a reading assessment and a numeracy assessment.

Students will be asked to bring headphones or earbuds that plug into a computer to enable them to hear audio during the assessment. Earbuds used for mobile phones or other portable devices may be suitable for use during the assessment.

If your child needs earbuds provided by the school, please contact the class teacher.

Please contact me directly should you have any questions regarding this assessment.

Many thanks for your anticipated support.

Deborah Brodie
Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction

Premier’s Sporting Challenge Ambassadors 2023

Dedication and commitment is second-to-none when it comes to being active, encouraging peers and providing opportunities for others to do the same. Our Year 2 Sporting House Leaders with our Year 6 House Captains, exemplify these values.

At the past 2 assemblies, these students have been presented with their Premier’s Sporting Challenge Ambassador badges.

Our Premier’s Sporting Challenge Ambassadors for 2023 are:

Year 2 Sporting House Leaders

Year 6 House Captains and Vice-Captains

On behalf of the PDHPE committee, we would like to honour and congratulate the ongoing effort and commitment these students show each and every day at Sherwood Ridge Public School.

Mrs Greer Misela
PDHPE committee leader

K-2 Cross Country

The school’s K-2 Cross Country carnival will be held on Thursday 8 June within the school grounds. All K-2 students are expected to participate in this carnival as a part of the PDHPE curriculum.

The carnival will begin at approximately 9am. Parents and visitors are invited to attend and will be asked to sit on the grass hill between the COLA and multipurpose court where there is an excellent view of the finish line. The canteen will be open for students as normal at recess.

To encourage house spirit, students will be allowed to wear a t-shirt and/or socks in their house colour. Our school sport uniform shorts should be worn by all students. If students are unable to wear a t-shirt in their house colour, their sports uniform shirt must be worn.

House colours are as follows:

Air – Yellow
Earth – Green
Fire – Red
Water - Blue

Zone Cross Country

On 18 May, 49 students represented Sherwood Ridge at the Castle Hill Zone Cross Country. All students raced in their age groups, cheering each other on from the sideline. All students pushed through to finish their race and should be super proud of their efforts. Well done to Ariana B, Michael C and Tillie J for placing in the top 8. Sherwood Ridge will be cheering you on at Sydney West Cross Country!

Miss Speechley and Ms Shearman
PSSA Sport Coordinators

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data

Dear Parents/Carers,

Every year, all Government and non-Government schools across Australia are required to participate annually in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on school students with disability. The NCCD process requires schools to provide information already available in the school about support provided to students. This data will be provided to the Australian Government to assist in the development of a consistent, national picture of the education needs of students with a disability. If your child has had an adjustment made to support them with their learning, then the student may be included in the data for this financial year.

For further information about the NCCD process, please use the following link:

If you have any questions about the data collection, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Cathy Keller and Mrs Suzana Zic, Learning and Support Teachers on 8824 3333.

Safety on Wheels

Sherwood Ridge Concert Band

The Sherwood Ridge Public School Concert Band, made up of our senior band students, is heading to the inaugural Hills Band Festival in Week 7 and the students are working hard! On Wednesday June 7, the Concert Band is travelling to Castle Hill RSL during the school day for a workshop with a specialist clinician, who will help the band to work on their songs as well as important skills such as stage presentation. The band will then return to the RSL in the evening for a special concert for family and friends, along with 4 other schools. The Hills Band Festival is a great opportunity to perfect their songs and perform for a large audience. The evening performances will be adjudicated, with prizes awarded. If you would like to watch the evening concert, tickets are available here:

Good luck to all the band students involved!

Kind regards,
Josh

Joshua McNulty
TSA Band Director
joshua@teachingservices.com.au

FROM THE LIBRARY

Upcoming Library Events for Term 2 & 3

15 August - Author Visit Aleesah Darlison

21-25 August 2023 - Book Week

21-23 August 2023 - Scholastic Book Fair

Being safe @ SRPS

Pedestrian Safety
Stop! Look! Listen! Think! every time you cross the road
Always hold a grown-up’s hand
When a grown-up’s hand is not available, hold a pram, bag or their clothes
Always cross the road with a grown-up
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you cross the road
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you’re on the footpath
Hold a grown-up’s hand when you’re in a car park
Use a safe place to cross the road

The Hills Chinese School

The Hills Chinese school have returned to face to face classes at Sherwood Ridge Public School.

For any enquiries or enrolments please contact Mary Yan Li - Principal - 0411 085 882.

Hills Community Aid

Hills Community Aid is here for you!

At this time we are practicing physical distancing while encouraging social inclusion.

We are providing over the phone, email and video support for a range of our services.

If you would like to speak with one of our staff please call and leave a message on our answering service (02) 9639 8620 or email and a member of staff will be in contact.

Follow our Facebook page to stay up to date with our social support services

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

The Hills Community Aid and Information Service Inc.

390 Windsor Road, BAULKHAM HILLS NSW 2153
Phone: 02 9639 8620      Office hours 9.30am – 3.00pm 
Fax: 02 9686 3100

P&C News & OTHER GOOD STUFF TO KNOW

Email: srpspandc@gmail.com

SHERWOOD RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL P&C FACEBOOK PAGE

Please like our official P&C page on FB... a great way to know what is going on at our school and keep up to date with news and views from other parents and members of the school community.

The new P & C executive for 2023 are:
President: Leanne Hagerty
Vice President: Vacant
Treasurer: Kathryn Pollastrini
Secretary: Corinne Keane
2nd hand uniform Coordinator: Nicole Susic

UNIFORM SHOP INFORMATION

After a couple of months planning, we are delighted to announce the launch of our newly redesigned uniform shop.

We hope you like the fresh new look to the website, and the simplified shops that will allow you to shop for our child with ease, find the latest news updates and find answers to all your questions in our FAQs section.

Email: SRPS@valourschools.com.au
Phone: 02 9651 3711

TRADING HOURS

Monday: 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Wednesday: 8.30am - 10.00am

THE HILLS SHIRE COUNCIL PARKING PENALTIES & RULES

COOL KIDS MUSIC

FLEXISCHOOLS CREDIT